Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress to date in meeting obligations under the wild birds directive to protect the habitats of rare and endangered wild bird species; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22278/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Action to protect the habitats of rare and endangered wild bird species is most directly addressed by designation of sites as special protection areas, SPAs. To date, Ireland has designated 128 SPAs, covering an area equivalent to almost 3% of our land area and statutory orders are in preparation to designate some further sites. Designation of habitats under other provisions, for example, as candidate special areas of conservation can also support the preservation of wild bird species.

However, the EU Commission is taking a case against Ireland in the European Court of Justice, alleging inadequate implementation of the directive. A major element of the Commission's case relates to sites for relatively dispersed rare species, such as hen harrier, chough and corncrake. An additional element of the Commission's case requires Ireland to ensure that all SPAs, including those designated under the system which applied pre-habitats directive, should now be subject to the procedures under the habitats directive.

Proposals for SPAs for hen harriers are being finalised within my Department, taking account of up to date information on the extent of recent afforestation provided by the forest service of the Department of Agriculture and Food. My Department is committed, when this information has been assessed, to further consultation with stakeholder interests about the implications of such designations before the details of the sites are published and notified to landowners. Proposals for SPAs for chough, mainly in coastal cliff areas of Kerry, west Cork and west Donegal are also being finalised. The implications of these proposals will also be discussed with landowners' representatives. With regard to both these species, it is envisaged that sites will be statutorily proposed later this year.

A number of existing SPAs provide protection for corncrake, along with other species. The question of designation of further sites for corncrake remains under consideration. Certain other dispersed species also require designation of sites. For species such as merlin and golden plover this can largely be achieved by designation as SPAs of lands already protected as candidate special areas of conservation, SACs, under the habitats directive.